Why did Maldives suspend three officials over their posts on social media?

On January 7, the Maldives government suspended three of its officials for posting derogatory comments against Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, which is one of the major drivers of tourism for the South Asian archipelago.

The deputy ministers, Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid had made the controversial comments after Modi’s post on X about his recent visit to the Lakshadweep islands.

In his post, Modi promoted the pristine beaches of Lakshadweep, located off the southwestern coast of India, where he tried snorkelling and went on early morning walks, calling his experience there “moments of pure bliss.”

Lakshadweep is an Indian Union territory in the Arabian Sea and some Maldivians see it as a competitor for tourists to Maldives own islands.

The three deputy ministers, who worked for the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information, and Arts, had called Modi a “clown”, “terrorist” and “puppet of Israel” following the Lakshadweep trip, which some saw as an attempt to take tourism away from the Maldives, a long-popular tourist destination known for its luxury beach resorts.

“The government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals,” the Maldives Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives.”

Deteriorating relations

India and the Maldives are close foreign allies, but the two nations’ relationship has been tense since President Mohamed Muizzu, who ran on an ‘India Out’ campaign, came into power in November.

Muizzu had pledged to end the Maldives' ‘India first’ policy, and asked India to withdraw its military from the country, something which Maldivians have been calling for some time.

"Using the instrument of diplomacy, I will ensure that this country has no foreign military presence on its soil,” Muizzu said at his inauguration.

The Maldives is considered the smallest country in Asia with a total land size of 298 square kilometers, just slightly bigger than Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh. Regional rivals China and India are competing for influence in the island nation, which lies on a main east-west shipping route.

Maldives, an archipelago of a thousand islands in the Indian Ocean, faces an immediate threat from climate crisis.

Many view Muizzu’s government as leaning towards China, and the controversy, which coincides with his first state visit to Beijing from January 8 to 12, is one way the new leadership is breaking away from Maldivian tradition to visit India first.

Head of the Maritime Policy Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation think tank in New Delhi told Reuters that Muizzu’s decision to visit Beijing before New Delhi is a “clear” signal that “India is low on priority for this regime.”

Singh said, "President Muizzu seems disinclined to continue engaging India. His actions seem directed at creating distance between Male and Delhi. He also seems keen on a close friendship with China, which should be concerning to India.”

Calls for boycott

Following the latest controversy surrounding the three ministers’ controversial remarks, some Indian celebrities, including Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, took to social media to express their dissatisfaction.

“Came across comments from prominent public figures from the Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists,” Kumar said on X.

“We are good to our neighbours but why should we tolerate such unprovoked hate? I’ve visited the Maldives many times and always praised it, but dignity first. Let us decide to #ExploreIndianIslands and support our own tourism," he added

Indian travellers contribute a large chunk of income via tourism to the Maldives’ economy. According to figures from the island nation’s tourism ministry, India tops its ten biggest markets, with 209,198 arrivals at the end of December 2023.

One of India’s largest travel platforms, EaseMyTrip, has also suspended flight bookings to the Maldives due to the controversy.

Former Maldives President Ibrahim Solih said on X, "India has always been a good friend to Maldives and we must not allow such callous remarks to negatively impact the age-old friendship between our two countries.”